Targeted Therapies for Childhood ALL |
by Patty Feist MS
"...My son was diagnosed in 1997. I read his treatment plan and cringed: How could we pour all these toxic chemicals into his body for over 3 years? It was surreal watching the nurse administer the medication, then carefully disposing the syringes into toxic waste containers. A PhD student in a research lab working with an analog of one of his medications accidentally got some of it on herself, and she thought she was in immediate medical compromise. But we were putting this drug in our son's veins!
It was my belief at that time-1997-that within a decade, the treatments for childhood ALL would advance to much less toxic therapies. Not so. Thirteen years later very little has changed in the treatment plans for ALL. In the standard of care treatment plans, the same toxic drugs are used as in the 1990s...."
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Is Childhood Cancer Included in Your State Cancer Plan? |
by Ruth Hoffman, MPH
"...In spite of the fact that childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for our nation's children under the age of 15 years, twenty-three states have NO mention of childhood cancer in their state's cancer plans. Children are solely mentioned in context of education and awareness programs aimed at healthy children. These include education programs, such as smoking prevention and cessation, and healthy lifestyle choices, such as exercise and healthy eating. The focus is placed on reducing the cancer burden in adults..."
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The Creating Hope Act of 2011 |
Providing Incentives to Pharmaceutical Companies for the Development of Drugs for Rare Pediatric Diseases.
"...The Creating Hope Act generates market incentives for drug development through the establishment of a priority review voucher for pediatric rare diseases, including pediatric cancers. Under this program, a company or institution that develops a drug for a pediatric rare disease and receives FDA approval for that drug also receives a voucher..."
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